Written Answers Nos. 68-80
68. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the legal provisions or statutory instruments governing the processes for trustees, boards, or patrons who wish to amalgamate or close schools. [11222/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that the Education Act (1998) provides for a general statutory framework for the administration of the education system at first and second level. Individual institutions in the education sector have varying degrees of autonomy according to their status and statutory provisions. The Act also provides for the right of schools to manage their own affairs in accordance with the Act and any charters, deeds, articles of management or other such instruments relating to their establishment or operation. In accordance with Sections 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the Act, the Minister may designate a school or a proposed school on request by a patron or patrons to be a school recognised for purposes of the Act. Such a request may involve a school closure or amalgamation.
The initiative for any amalgamation may come from a variety of sources, such as parents, staff, Board of Management and patron(s). Any such proposal to amalgamate schools must first involve consultation with all of the relevant stakeholders. Following the consultation process, a decision taken at local level will follow. In that regard, any proposed changes must be well planned and managed in a manner that accommodates the interests of students, parents, teachers, local communities and contributes to an inclusive education system.
69. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason schools who complied with his Department's directive to set up book rental schemes are now not able to access the subsequent grant introduced by him to complete the establishment of their schemes. [11238/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department will continue to provide a book grant as usual to all primary schools. This grant, can be utilised for the purposes of updating or expanding a school's existing book rental scheme.
I want to commend all schools that have used it to help build up book rental schemes over the years and I am aware of the difficulties faced by schools in relation to these schemes. Their efforts mean that the high costs of school books is being significantly reduced for parents. At my request, the National Parents' Council surveyed the views of their members in relation to currently operating book rental schemes. Parents have reported that where book rental schemes operate, they are open to all parents in 95% of cases, and that the cost per child is under €40 per year in a considerable majority of schools.
Perhaps most tellingly, the survey has found that 93% of parents believe that book rental schemes help with the costs of educating a child. Ensuring that book rental schemes are available to all parents must therefore clearly be our aim. For these reasons, I have urges schools to set up book rental schemes.
I understand that it feels unfair to those schools who have invested time and money to establish such schemes, that they now cannot benefit from the additional funding which was secured as part of the Budget. Of course it is unfair, but equally, the status quo was deeply unfair on many parents and I am not currently in a position to re-examine the scheme.
The parents who had no access whatsoever to book rental schemes needed more support. With the limited funding available, I believe that targeting this funding - to make sure that every parent in Ireland has access to some level of a book rental scheme - was the greatest good that could be achieved.
70. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the State Examinations Commission is refusing vulnerable and dyslexic second level students support in the leaving certificate (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11245/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations, including an appeals process. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. Full details of the scheme are available for downloading from their website: www.examinations.ie/candidates/reasonableaccommodations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
71. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a college grant application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11247/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraOfficials in my Department have confirmed that the student referred to by the Deputy has appealed the decision of the awarding authority to the Independent Student Grants Appeals Board. The appeal was received by the Board on 18th February 2014 and will be heard within the timeframe set out in the Student Support Act 2011. The student will be notified directly of the outcome of the appeal.
72. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a reader in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11341/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations, including an appeals process. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. Full details of the scheme are available for downloading from their website: www.examinations.ie/candidates/reasonableaccommodations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
73. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the proposal in the programme for Government to develop a national strategy for international education. [11342/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is strongly committed to promoting Ireland as a centre for international education. In order to achieve this my Department has been co-ordinating the implementation of Investing in Global Relationships: Ireland's International Education Strategy which involves a collaborative approach between Government departments and agencies and the education sector.
My Department will shortly be publishing a mid-term review of this strategy to build on the progress to date, and to set out the strategic priorities for the international education sector for the period to 2016.
74. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide the details of investment in any targeted early childhood education programmes for disadvantaged children during each of the past four years. [11344/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department's main intervention in early years education is the Early Start programme. This programme was established in the mid-1990s in 40 primary schools in designated areas of urban disadvantage in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway, Drogheda and Dundalk. It is a one year intervention scheme to meet the needs of children from disadvantaged backgrounds who are at risk of not reaching their potential within the school system. The estimated cost of the programme, including salary costs, is in excess of €6 million per year.
My Department is also working with the D/CYA on the National Early Years Access Initiative and the Area-Based Childhood (ABC) Programme.
75. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if all schools have drawn up a five year development plan for their schools and individual teachers. [11345/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchools are required to engage in a process of school self-evaluation (SSE) since the launch of the SSE Guidelines. The requirements are outlined in circulars 0039/2012 (primary schools) and 0040/2012 (post-primary schools) which were published in November 2012. As part of the SSE process, schools are required to evaluate one aspect of teaching and learning and to complete their first SSE report and three-year school improvement plan by the end of the school year 2013/14. The primary purpose of the SSE process is to encourage the cultivation of a culture of self-review and improvement within schools; international experience shows that SSE is most effective at driving improvement in schools when it is internal to the school and an embedded part of school culture. Schools should seek to involve their school communities in the process and they are required to provide a short summary of the report and plan to their school community by the end of the school year 2013/14. As the deadline for producing the first SSE report and school improvement plan has not yet arrived, my Department has not sought information about compliance with the requirements.
76. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the date on which science will become a compulsory junior certificate subject. [11346/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe NCCA is currently evaluating the responses it has received on a background paper for Junior Cycle Science in the context of the development of a new specification for Science. The new specification is due for implementation in schools from September 2015.
Overall, I am in favour of schools deciding what junior cycle programme they will offer, mindful of the need to reflect the interests of their students. Curricular choice has been shown to be an important factor in strengthening retention rates to completion of senior cycle in school.
Good and enthusiastic science teachers currently inspire a real interest in their subject. In fact in 2013 90% of students sat the Junior Certificate science examination and it was not compulsory. Such enthusiasm will continue to ensure that students into the future will want to study science.
In implementing the Framework for Junior Cycle all students will be expected to value the role and contribution of science and technology to society, and their personal, social and global importance. It is up to schools to determine how this will be provisioned in their junior cycle programme.
77. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the new system of self-evaluation will be introduced to schools; and the information that schools will be required to publish. [11347/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool self-evaluation (SSE) was introduced as a mandatory requirement for primary and post-primary schools in November 2012, when the SSE Guidelines were launched. Schools are required to engage in a process of internal evaluation of three aspects of teaching and learning, including literacy and numeracy in a four-year period from 2012/13 to 2015/16. They are required to produce a school self-evaluation report and a three-year school improvement plan on each of these aspects of teaching and learning and to provide a summary of the report and plan to the school community. The first report and plan should be available by the end of the school-year 2013/14. Guidance has been provided to schools about the content of the summary reports and plans. Schools are advised to provide a brief account of the school context, evidence gathered, overall findings in terms of the school's strengths and areas for improvement in the aspect of teaching and learning evaluated and the steps that the school intends to take to achieve the required improvement. Boards of management of schools have the autonomy to decide how the summary report will be provided to the school community.
78. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the implementation of the national literacy strategy for children and young persons. [11348/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraOver the period since the launch of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy in July 2011, there has been significant progress under many of the 41 actions and almost 180 sub-actions. Some of the major developments to date are set out as follows:
- Major changes have been made to initial teacher training including expanding the primary Bachelor of Education from 3 to 4 years, and the Professional Diploma in Education to 2 years;
- A team of literacy and numeracy advisers have been appointed to support teachers and schools in implementing the Strategy and a national programme of professional development for primary and second level teachers is continuing.
- The NCCA is continuing work on the development of an integrated language curriculum for primary schools. The consultation on the draft curriculum will begin shortly.- The NCCA is beginning work on the review of the primary mathematics curriculum.- Implementation of Junior Cycle in schools is about to begin with the new English specification being rolled out to schools in September 2014. The key skills of literacy and numeracy are being embedded in all new specifications for JC subjects and short courses as they are developed.- Primary schools have increased the time spent on literacy and numeracy and are carrying out and reporting on standardised testing in schools.- School-self evaluation has been rolled out to schools.
79. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the improvements that have taken place in pre-service and in-service training in teaching of literacy for primary and secondary school teachers. [11349/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraRecommendations for changes to initial teacher education and the provision of continuing professional development were included in the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020.
The recommendations on initial teacher education have been incorporated into the Teaching Council's Policy Paper on the Continuum of Teacher Education and Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers. Both were published in 2011. Improvements made to initial teacher education courses include the reconfiguration of the content and duration of courses, with the duration of concurrent ITE programmes set at a minimum of four years while the postgraduate programmes of teacher education will take place over two years thereby facilitating an innovative reconceptualisation of programmes.
Reconfigured and extended B.Ed programmes for primary teaching commenced in September 2012. Reconfigured concurrent programmes for post-primary teaching commenced in September 2013. Reconfigured and extended post-graduate programmes for both primary and post-primary teachers are due to commence in September 2014. The lengthened and reconfigured programmes include substantial periods of school placement as central to student teacher development and a number of mandatory elements including literacy and numeracy. It is also stipulated that in all areas of study there should be provision for student teachers' literacy and numeracy and their competence in promoting and assessing literacy and numeracy as appropriate to their curricular/subject area(s).
My Department is very committed to ensuring that literacy and numeracy are an integral part of the ongoing support available to schools and training has been offered to all primary and post primary teachers. To date almost 71,000 training places have been made available by the Professional Development Service for Teachers who are charged with leading the roll out of support for the Strategy. All support services in receipt of funding from my Department must ensure that literacy is an integral part of the support they provide.
80. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of minutes per day DEIS schools and non-DEIS schools are teaching literacy. [11350/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith effect from January 2012 and in line with the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, all primary schools are required to spend 6.5 hours for infants with a shorter day, and 8.5 hours per week for students with a full day on the development of literacy skills, particularly in the first language of the school.
At post-primary level circular 25/12 emphasises that literacy and numeracy are cross-curricular skills which can be supported across the curriculum. It also provides that students should have access to an English lesson every day and that in addition, students in Irish-medium schools should have access to an Irish lesson every day.
There is a particular emphasis on literacy in DEIS schools and the DEIS School Support Programme includes access to literacy support services and to literacy programmes and to Home School Community Liaison services including literacy initiatives involving paired reading and Reading for Fun. The School Completion Programme also supports additional literacy interventions in an after-school space. The emphasis in the DEIS programme is on school planning so that teaching and other resources are delivered to meet identified educational needs within the school. As in all schools, the quality of the learning supports provided in DEIS schools is as important, if not more so, than the time spent on individual elements of the curriculum.
